Support and switch for electric dental instruments.



No. 702,073. Patented lune l0, I902.

E. 0. PIEPER.

SUPPORT AND SWITCH FOR ELECTRIC DENTAL INSTRUMENTS.

(Application filed Jan. 2. 1902) WITNESSES: INVEN/ZOR.

W 0. Law z zfweyz.%v;w By

ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST O. PIEPER, OF SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA.

SUPPORT AND SWITCH FOR ELECTRTC DENTAL INSTRUMENTS.

SPEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 702,073, dated June 10,1902.

Application filed January 2, 1902. Serial No. 88,010. (No model.)

[0 (ZZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, ERNEST O. PIEPER, a citizen of the United States,residing at San Jose, in the county of Santa Clara and State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSupports and Switches for Electric Dental Instruments, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to a combined support and electric switch fordental instruments, the object of my invention being to provide a deviceby means of which certain classes of dental instruments-such asmouthlamps, hot-air syringes, cauterizers, and the likewhich require anelectric current for their operation can be supported in a convenientposition and so that the electric circuit is broken when so supported,while upon removal of the device from its support to use the same theelectric circuit shall be closed.

A special object of my invention is to provide a device of thischaracter which shall be cheap and simple in construction and at thesame time neat and attractive in appearance.

I have herein shown my invention in use with an electric mouth-lamp andan electric hot-air syringe; but the same may also be used with otherinstruments employing electric currents.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of myimproved device. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line A A of Fig. 1,and Fig. 3 is a cross-section on theline 1 B B of Fig. 1. 7

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a switchboard, which ispreferably secured in a vertical position" against a wall or othersuitable support. 7

2 2 are the upper binding-posts, to which are connected the supply-wires3 3' from the source of electricity.

4: represents a resistance-lamp interposed in the circuit to reduce thestrength of the current, which as ordinarily supplied would be toopowerful for the instruments used in connection with the presentinvention. From the positive binding-post 2 the current passes to one ofthe terminals of the lamps by means of a wire in the under side of theswitchboard. (Shown in dotted lines at 5.) The current passes throughthe lamp and then travels from the other terminal of the lamp by twowires in the under side of the switchboard and shown in dotted lines at6 to the righthand members of two switches 7. Said switches 7 are alsoclamps for holding the dental instruments. They are each formed ofstrips of spring metal, their lower bent and forked ends being securedto the switchboard by means of screws 9, to which on one side areattached the ends of the wires 6 and on the other side are attached theends of wires 10, conducting the current from said switch. From theirends thus secured uponthe switchboard the strips extend upward andconverge toward each other and make contact at their upper ends, asshown at 11,-when the instru ment is not clamped therein. From saidpoints of contact the strips are bentor curved outward to conform to thecurved sides of the instrument, and their extreme upper ends are flaredoutward, as shown at 12, to facilitate the entrance of the instrumentinto the clamp. I have herein shown two such instruments, the one on theright (represented by 13) being an electric mouth-lamp and the one onthe left (represented at 14:) being an electric hotair syringe.

The wires 10 in the under side of the switchboard lead from theleft-hand members of the clamp to the left-hand members 17 18 of twopairs of binding-posts near the lower edge of the switchboard, whichmembers are connected to the positive wires 19 20 of the hot-air syringeand electric mouth-lamp, respectively, while the negative wires 19 20 ofthe latter are connected with the righthand members 17 18 of the twopairs of binding-posts. The binding-post 17 is connected by a wire 21 inthe under side of the switchboard with the binding-post 18, while thelatter is similarly connected by a wire 22 with the negativebinding-post 2 at the top of the switchboard.

It will now be seen that when both of the instruments are in position intheir clamps the circuit is broken; but when either of them is removedfrom its clamp the spring members of said clamp immediately come incontact and the circuit is closed through said clamp. Thus eitherinstrument is immediately ready for use upon removing it from itssupport, and the replacing of the instrument in its supportautomatically breaks the circuitand prevents the passageof the current.

It is of the essence of my invention that the dental instruments used inconnection therewith should each have at the point where it is supportedin the clamp a casing or stem 23 of hard rubber or other insulatingmaterial, so that when the instrument is hung up in place said stem willbreak the contact through the clamp or switch.

I claim- 1. A support and switch for an electric dental instrumentcomprising a switchboard, an electric circuit, and a clamp comprisingtwo strips of spring metal, the lower ends of which are supported uponthe switchboard, and are connected with said circuit, and the upper endsconverge and contact with each other when free to do so, said upper endsbeing shaped to receive an electric dental instrument, and thereby breaksaid contact, in combination with such an instrument having a stem ofinsulating material arranged to be interposed between said strips andthus break the circuit between them, the wires of said instrumentbeingin said circuit, substantially as described.

2. A support and switch for electric dental instruments comprising aswitchboard, a plurality of switches thereon, each comprising two stripsof spring metal secured at their lower ends to said switchboard, theirupper ends converging toward each other and contacting when free to doso, said upper ends being suitably bent to receive the stem of anelectric dental instrument and thereby break said contact, incombination with a corresponding plurality of electric dentalinstruments, the wires of which are connected in parallel with themembers of the switches, and the members of the switches being connectedin parallel with the source of supply of electricity, and eachinstrument having a stem of insulating material arranged to beinterposed between the switch members when the instrument is hung up,substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

ERNEST O. IIEPER.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM BINDER, JULIAN H. RIDDLE.

